This invention relates to methods for producing a laminate useful in the manufacture of wearing apparel, for example, or floor coverings and to laminates so produced wherein a slip resistant or skid resistant gripping surface is required. The laminate includes a porous foamed surface which is useful as a gripping surface for the work environment, and the method of the invention is such that the gripping surface may be controlled to have a lesser or greater degree of abrasion resistance, as required for the subsequent use of the article involved. The invention includes a substrate which may be a fabric web comprised of a non-woven fibrous web, such as needled felt, a knitted fabric web such as knitted jersey, or a woven fabric, for example. The substrate may be comprised of natural or synthetic fibers or blends thereof including, for example, polyester, or a polyester-cotton blend. The foamed surface is applied to the substrate. The resulting foam surface is porous, as will be understood, and has the property of absorbing oil, water or grease on surfaces so as to provide an enhanced gripping property to the skid resistant surface of the invention. The foam may be comprised of polyurethane, for example, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, neoprene, or other natural or synthetic rubbers. In addition, in certain applications, it may be appropriate to include a moisture barrier between the substrate and the foam surface. The barrier may be applied as a coating on the substrate, for example. Representative moisture barrier coatings include polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile, natural or synthetic rubbers. The moisture barrier layer will be selected to be compatible with the subsequently applied foam layer, as will be understood.
In the past, it has been conventional, in order to apply gripping surfaces to work gloves and such items of wearing apparel or skid resistant floor coverings, to provide a textured surface in one form or another. However, certain disadvantages are involved in the use of such textured surfaces in work gloves and the like in that in an oily or greasy environment, the gripping is not to the degree necessary in order to provide a firm gripping action for a workman in a dangerous situation. Also, such wearing apparel, and particularly work gloves in some forms, have a tendency to be stiff and unyielding in use.